The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Private Leonard L. Hunt (MCSN: 854644), United States Marine Corps Reserve, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while serving with Company G, Second Battalion, Ninth Marines, THIRD Marine Division in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands on 26 February 1945. During an attack against a heavily fortified hostile area, Private Hunt single handedly worked his way up through heavy machine gun and mortar fire and placing a demolition charge in an enemy emplacement, silenced the machine gun and killed ten of the enemy. By his courageous action, he was responsible for the explosion of a large sector of ammunition contained in the fortification which inflicted heavy casualties among the enemy in adjoining areas and disrupted their organization. By his cool courage and initiative, he enabled his platoon to resume the attack and annihilate about seventy-five of the Japanese in the vicinity of the entrenchment he had demolished. His unselfish devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.